Meta will start charging for AI messages on WhatsApp

According to a report on the technology website TechCrunch, the move comes after Meta’s ban on third-party messaging apps on WhatsApp went into effect on January 15.

Earlier this month, Meta sent notices to developers operating Italian phone numbers, allowing AI-based chat apps to serve customers in the country. At the time, according to the report, the company did not mention any intention to collect payment from the developers.

Today, WhatsApp already charges businesses for using its API, which enables the creation of pre-prepared messages in a variety of areas – including marketing, customer service and identity verification. These are, among other things, reminder messages for payments, delivery updates and other service messages.

Already last October, Meta announced its intention to completely block third-party chat apps based on artificial intelligence from using WhatsApp through the WhatsApp Business API. According to the company, its systems were not designed to handle the load of responses produced by AI-based chatbots.

“The advent of AI-powered chatbots in our business API has put a strain on our systems, which were not designed to support it,” Metta said at the time.

According to the report, the logic behind the move assumes that WhatsApp should not be used as a kind of app store. According to them, the path to market for AI companies is through the app stores, their websites and industry collaborations – not through the WhatsApp Business platform.